FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Contact: Kristen Schulze Muszynski
Office:207-626-8400 Cell: 207-441-7638

Citizens’ initiative for energy transmission project found valid with 69,714 signatures

AUGUSTA – Certification of the citizens’ initiative effort “To Reject the New England Clean Energy Connect Transmission Project” is complete and Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap confirmed today that the effort has enough valid signatures to move forward.

The proponents of this legislation submitted 15,785 petitions with 82,449 signatures to the Elections Division of the Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions on Monday, Feb. 3, 2020. The Elections Division has completed the process of certifying the petitions and found 69,714 valid signatures, while 12,735 were not valid. A minimum of 63,067 signatures from registered Maine voters is required.

The Maine Legislature will now consider this initiative. If the Legislature declines to enact it without change, Sec. Dunlap will draft the ballot question and accept public input on the wording. The finalized question would then go before voters at the Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020 General Election.

Visit: https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/citizens/index.html to view the proposed legislation in its entirety.

PDF Decision of the validity of petition